Ordered a side of Heritage Pork

[redzed]

All the stuff I have been making so far has been with commercial pork. My sources have been supermarkets, a wholesaler and Costco. I have been wanting to try a heavier heritage hog raised on a small farm for a while and today ordered a side. It's a Berkshire Tamworth cross and will be ready at the end of October. The estimated weight is 110 for the half, head on. It's actually been years since I broke down a half a pig so I'm looking forward to that and making salumi and smoked sausages.

The pork is from this farm:
http://joannegorle.wix.com/nottafarm

[BriCan]

All the stuff I have been making so far has been with commercial pork. My sources have been supermarkets, a wholesaler and Costco. I have been wanting to try a heavier heritage hog raised on a small farm for a while and today ordered a side. It's a Berkshire Tamworth cross and will be ready at the end of October. The estimated weight is 110 for the half, head on. It's actually been years since I broke down a half a pig so I'm looking forward to that and making salumi and smoked sausages.

The pork is from this farm:
http://joannegorle.wix.com/nottafarm

Looked at the site and will be contacting for the other half

[redzed]

Hey that's great! Will have to compare notes! And maybe even a taste test. I'm already losing sleep at night thinking exactly what I'm going to make. Would like to make a prosciutto but have never done one before so don't want to experiment on something other than commercial pork. But will do a proper coppa, cut at the 5th rib, lonza, head cheese and salami. But that still leaves me the leg.

[BriCan]

Hey that's great! Will have to compare notes! And maybe even a taste test.

I'm up for it, it would be good for someone local to taste some of my meager renderings

I'm already losing sleep at night thinking exactly what I'm going to make. Would like to make a prosciutto but have never done one before so don't want to experiment on something other than commercial pork.

The question being is why the prosciutto ? Yes it looks nice and impressive (I have three down ) but I would/will do the Culatello (three in the works) and the Fiocchetto again I have about twelve on the go.

These take a shorter time and the flavour (on the commercial) is out of this world

But will do a proper coppa, cut at the 5th rib,

Between the 6th and 7th rib is much better to my thinking -- also out of the shoulder/picnic Schwarzwaelder Speck

lonza, head cheese and salami. But that still leaves me the leg.

[BriCan]

Culatello



Fiocchetto

[redzed]

I'm up for it, it would be good for someone local to taste some of my meager renderings

Yeah, well you've done this for a pile of years, and I'm just a rookie! But it still would be interesting....

The question being is why the prosciutto ? Yes it looks nice and impressive (I have three down ) but I would/will do the Culatello (three in the works) and the Fiocchetto again I have about twelve on the go.

These take a shorter time and the flavour (on the commercial) is out of this world

Culatello is definately an option, but I will decide after I see how the two that I started nearly six months ago turn out. Will cut one in about a month. I already sampled the fiocchetto and it was excellent, especially since it was commercial pork, and only #2, salt and BP.

Between the 6th and 7th rib is much better to my thinking -- also out of the shoulder/picnic Schwarzwaelder Speck

I thought the Italians cut between the 5th and 6th ribs while the butts we buy are cut between the 2nd and 3rd? But between the 6th and 7th will work too and the coppa from a 110lb side will probably weigh well over 3kg. If I make the Schwarzwaelder, what the heck am I going to make some salami and Kielbasa from?

[Butterbean]

When you make your head cheese, save the broth and can it. On a whim I did this last year and the broth is outstanding. I've used it for the base for rice and other dishes and it has shined every time.

[Bob K]

If I make the Schwarzwaelder, what the heck am I going to make some salami and Kielbasa from?

I would make as many items as I could from whole muscle cuts...thats where you will notice the difference in taste the most. Reserve the backfat for salami...farm-fed pigs have flavor. Dont forget table fare - chops and roasts are outstanding.
A friend raises 6 every year this year they were berkshire crosses.

Decisions, decisions

[king kabanos]

hey redzed tell me how everything comes out i am also interested in buying half a berksire pig but they are really pricey they want 4.85 a pound for half . i am going to buy my first pig and cant decide what to do i can get a regular american white pig for 200-300 bucks for a whole pig weighing 200-250 pounds from a ranch thats 30 min away from me you go there pick the one you want they kill it and separate it if you want or go with the half berkshire for around 450 that raised really good and fed good. but i think the American white shouldent be to bad i mean its probably not top of the line but should be preety good i think better than the stuff you get from the super market or Costco. What do you think?? Also red zed you can make a boneless smoked ham with the leg.

Here is the website for the Berkshire

http://www.cookpigs.com/


And the one for the american white

http://www.yelp.com/biz/corona-cattle-corona

[BriCan]

Also red zed you can make a boneless smoked ham with the leg.

Not redzed .. but yes you can

[redzed]

]When you make your head cheese, save the broth and can it. On a whim I did this last year and the broth is outstanding. I've used it for the base for rice and other dishes and it has shined every time.

Butterbean I know you are a guy who uses the whole hog and does not waste anything. Something you deserve a lot of credit for. And I don't waste the leftover broth either. I chill it, skim off the fat and have used it when making borscht or stewing sauerkraut.

I would make as many items as I could from whole muscle cuts...thats where you will notice the difference in taste the most. Reserve the backfat for salami...farm-fed pigs have flavor. Dont forget table fare - chops and roasts are outstanding.

Yeah you are right Bob, I should do a few chops and a good old fashioned roast. And yes that backfat will definately add flavour to salami that will be made with commercial pork.

hey redzed tell me how everything comes out i am also interested in buying half a berksire pig but they are really pricey they want 4.85 a pound for half . i am going to buy my first pig and cant decide what to do i can get a regular american white pig for 200-300 bucks for a whole pig weighing 200-250 pounds from a ranch thats 30 min away from me you go there pick the one you want they kill it and separate it if you want or go with the half berkshire for around 450 that raised really good and fed good. but i think the American white shouldent be to bad i mean its probably not top of the line but should be preety good i think better than the stuff you get from the super market or Costco. What do you think?? Also red zed you can make a boneless smoked ham with the leg.

Dan, I guess it all boils down to what you want to do. I think if you are going to do some dry curing then the Berkshire will be probably superior to those white pigs, that are usually longer and leaner. A lot of the flavour is in the intramuscular fat and factory raised market hogs have very little of that. But if you buy one that is 200+ lbs dressed weight, rather than the average 160lb market hog, and the pig was raised in a decent environment, that is it had some room to run around and wallow under the sun, it probably will be great for sausage and smoked products. And definitely better than buying meat in those cryovac bags. Cut and process after hanging for a couple of days and you will be able to tell the difference in what you make.

Robert those hams look great! Makes me want to bring out the mustard and throw a pile of thin slices on a hunk of of medium or dark rye! With a cold one on the side!

[king kabanos]

Red zed Iam not going to be doing any dry curing just the hot smoked polish kielbasa hams baleron polenwica and other stuff. I found out that slaughter house buys the pigs from out of california and then they stay outside in the sun at the slaughter house but I don't know before they get shipped if they were outside that's 250 to 300 a dollerss a pig for that weight . But people tell me Berkshire is the best meat from swine and awww that back fat is so good make some good wendzoni Slonina. I found out I can get a pasture Berkshire pig raised by students at my local university for 2 dollers a pound live weight and then I think a hundered bucks to kill it and separate it. So 500 for a 200 pound berkshire I think that is really good price. Should I go with the berkshire or the slaughter house swine?

[BriCan]

Should I go with the berkshire or the slaughter house swine?

It's a no brainer ~~ if you can afford go with the Berkshire

[redzed]

I agree with Brican. Looks like your seller sources market hogs and most of these now come from large scale producers, operating on a factory model. As I said before, rather than buying cryovacced pieces, it's always better to get your own fresh pork and break it down, but then you don't always need everything.

[Butterbean]

Just curious, but you say you are getting a half with the head on, how do they do this? Split the carcass from snout to tail? Or, like here, many don't want the head and its your choice and you are getting the whole head?